Values Class: “If I Were the Devil…”

Last weekend, since it was a reminder about how bashing America has been around for a long time, I put up a video to Byron McGregor’s reading of “ The Americans.” It was about how all countries in the world tend to bash us and offer little (or nothing) constructive in return.

It seemed to go over pretty well – since not too many people remember it, – and certainly, few under age 40 have heard it. They’re just not old enough.

A reader offered another gem in return which is our pick as this weekend’s “Values Class” offering.

Original copy by the legendary Paul Harvey, here’s a commentary that bleakly outlines how far America has fallen from our Founding Principles.

This doesn’t necessarily give us any surer footing on the path back to world class thought, moral, and scientific leadership. But, as a summary of the problem, our view is this is very close to the mark.

As always, comments are welcome, but stick to the story or the editing scissors will be taken to any bashing so we can avoid the disunity which is also part of why we’re in the sorry state we’re in now.

Suggestions for audio or video snips that reflect our values, problems, and opportunities ahead, please send it along. We need to “handle the truth” in a head-on, can-do, kick-ass way. Thanks.

12 Comments

Ray on August 17, 2019 at 23:55

The Road to Hell Is Paved with Virtue-Signaling Charles Hugh Smith

Here in the decay phase of Imperial Pretensions, The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity. It’s a line from Yeats’ poem The Second Coming, and it speaks to our current stumbling descent toward the abyss, where the worst invest their energies in virtue-signaling and the best retreat from the hopelessness of actually addressing our real-world problems.

The road to Hell is paved with virtue-signaling: rather than actually solve the knotty problems that are dragging us toward the abyss, we substitute self-righteousness for problem-solving. That is virtue-signaling in a nutshell.

The death of Peter Fonda yesterday could be bad news for the Dow:When Henry died-also on a Friday-on Aug.12,1982,the Dow hit its bottom at 777.Perhaps the cycle is complete and there’s nowhere to go but down.

You gotta read and appreciate David Goggins’ “Can’t Hurt Me” if you haven’t read it yet.

ECS on August 17, 2019 at 08:25

Video unavailable on my laptop. Was it a John Wayne movie? Did you graduate?

eastcoast deplorable on August 17, 2019 at 09:02

Opening speech by George C Scott as General Patton, US flag as background.

Affirmative

ECS on August 17, 2019 at 13:02

I took a harder route, I was in the Marines, but was discharged in 1969 before you even attended a picture show.

Bill on August 19, 2019 at 07:36

Poor ol’ GCS’s finest moment in his career and he never could top it. Dr. Strangelove was a lot of fun, though. Oh well, his performance is one of our national treasures. As far as the real George Patton goes we need to dig him up and clone him. The theory goes he was eliminated because he was thinking of a run for the presidency and TPTB were terrified of someone that thinks for themselves and can put it all into action. He was never a team player but he was a winner. Eisenhower was a danged good president but couldn’t buck the system. Patton would have cleared the board and we’d be a different country now.